Lace web separation



R. E. LANGLOIS ETAL 2,837,808

June 10, 1958 LACE WEB SEPARATION Filed Nov. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ROLAND E. LANGLOIS HENR! A. BOULAY LOUlS G. BLUMENBAUM INVENTORS BY Z 2 ATTORNEY R; E. LANGLOIS ETAL 2,837,808

LACE was SEPARATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROLAND E. LANGLOIS HENRI A. BOULAY LOUIS G. BLUMENBAUM INVENTORS BY $2 A'ITORNEIY June 10, 1958 Filed Nov. 18, 1955 N z @k EL IWWMU/AQ 9 d States 1 LACE WEB SEPARATION Roland E. Langlois and Henri A. Boulay, West Warwick, and Louis G. Blumenhaum, Edgewood, R. L, assignors I to Technical Service, Inc., Pontiac, R. L, a corporation of Rhode Island Application November 18, 1955, Serial.No. 547,669 9'Claims. (Cl. 28-1) This invention relates to lace web separation and, more particularly, it is directed to a novel method and apparatus for producing individual strips of lace by separating relatively long lace webs composed of rows of lace strips connected together side by side in the webs by longitudinal draw threads and transverse rover or connector threads to effect breaking or rupture of the connector threads by and simultaneously with the removal of the draw threads from the webs.

It is accordingly an object of our invention to provide a simple, expeditious and economical process for producing lace in strip form from relatively long lace webs of the type above-described ina continuous manner and without damage to the lace netting.

Another object of our invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus for mechanically separating relatively long lace webs of the type above-described into strips of lace in long lengths by tearing out all the longitudinal draw threads as a group under tension from the moving web.

A further object of our invention is the retention of the separated lace strips under tension and in their original rows initially assumed in the webs as the separated strips move on intact and undamaged while effecting removal of all lint and thread bits from the lace strips and subsequent folding of the accumulated separated strips is effected.

Other more specific objects and advantages of the invention will appear, expressed or implied, from the following detailed description of one form of apparatus that is shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing embodying our invention and suitable for carrying out the process or method of our invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a fragmentary portion of a typical lace web including a plurality of bands or strips of lace connected together side by side;

Fig. 2 is a greatly enlarged view of the adjacent edges of two bands or strips as represented according to Fig. 1 and showing the draw threads and the rover or connector threads;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing diagrammatically one form of apparatus for carrying out our process;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus diagrammatically shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic representation of one form of gearing arrangement which may be used in conjunction with the apparatus of Fig. 3.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown somewhat diagrammatically a face view of a fragmentary portion of a lace web W made up of a plurality of narrow width lace strips or hands of which four are here illustrated, and made at the same .time during forming of the web across its entire breadth with a considerably larger number of such strips or bands such as, for example, twenty or more, the adjacent strips or hands being connected together side 2,837,808 Patented June 10, 1958 of loops, are two longitudinal draw threads 14 and 14,

respectively. Two separate transverse rover or connector threads 15 and 15, as illustrated in Fig. 2, proceed in a zigzag course from side to side with a series of alternating turns 16 and 16 respectively from one draw thread 14% to the other draw thread 14 and interconnect the two adjacent lace strips 10 together at each of the locations A indicated in Fig. 1. As further shown in Fig. 2, each zigzag rover or connector thread 15 has a series of alternate turns '16 which extend through loops 1?. of the lace edge of one of the strips 10 and at the same time passes around the draw thread 14 which lies across all of the loops 12 of such lace edge, and also it is connected with the adjacent side of the adjoining lace strip or band 10 by a series of alternate turns 16 which extend through loops 12' of the lace edge of such adjoining strip or band 11 and also around the draw thread 14 which lies across all of the loops 12' of such lace edge. Similarly, each zigzag rover or connector thread 15 has its alternating series of turns 16 extending through alternate loops l2 and 12' and around their associated draw threads 14- and M respectively.

The rover or connector threads 15 and 15' thus-described usually are of very much smaller size than the loops 12 and 12' and also smaller than the draw threads 14 and lid whereby they readily may be ruptured or broken intermediate the loops 16 ad 16' by pulling endwise the respective draw threads 14 and 14, either separately or in multiples or all as a group, from the travelling web of lace strips or hands 10 in a direction away from the path of movement of said advancing web such as, for example, below, sidewise, or above in an oblique backward direction with respect to themselves, while subjecting them to applied tension sufiicient to break the rover or connector threads and carry with them the fragmental sections thereof with consequent complete separation of the web into separate lace strips or bands, all of which are carried out in accordance with the tearing process of our invention as will hereinafter be described.

Although in the form of connection arrangement shown in Fig. 2, two rover or connector threads 15 and 15', as just described, may be employed, it will be understood that this particular lace design has been indicated as typical of a lace web that may be employed in carrying out our novel process but it will be obvious that there are other designs which are suitable for separation by the method of this invention and it is intended that these be included in the scope of the invention.

Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown diagrammatically one form of apparatus suitable for carrying out the separation of lace webs according to our process in which a lace web W is taken from any suitable source and caused to travel under tension around the periphery of a feltcovered drum or wheel 2% in the course of which movement at a point S of the drum periphery all the longitudinal dr-aw threads 14 and 14 are pulled or torn from the lace web as a group by an externally applied force and caused to travel, under tension, in an oblique direction away from the moving web. This may be accomplished either by hand or by a continuous winding movement upon positively driven take-up roll 21, thereby tearing =9 or rupturing the rover or connector threads and 15 in the process.

As specifically shown in Fig. 3, the lace web W lies in loose folds and is continuously unfolded as the top and succeeding folds are drawn upwardly over a pair of tension rolls 22 and 23 passing around the face of the upper tension roll 22, thence between both rolls and around and under the face of the lower tension roll 23 to and around and over the face of an idler or wrap roll 24 which is located close to and beneath the drum or wheel 24 The tension rolls 22 and 23 are felt-covered while the face of the roll 24 is of plain metal. From the roll 24, the moving web W continues to be drawn around the major periphery of the drum or wheel from which it is removed in the form of separated lace strips by passage around the drive roll 25 for the drum or wheel 20 after emerging from the bite between the drive roll and the drum. The separate lace strips 10 then advance between a pair of cooperating brushes 26 and 27 which remove any lint and thread bits carried by the separated lace strips following the tearing operation. During the entire movement of the separated lace strips 10 from the separation or tearing point S, they remain under tension and side by side in their original rows as they are taken off the drum or wheel 29 and pass between the brushes 26 and 27 to positively driven rolls 28 and 29, which in cooperation with a posi tively driven roll 30 with its associated tension rolls 31 move the separated lace strips or bands 10 successively across a static eliminator 32 and a beater 33 to knock off and effect removal of any lint or thread bits still carried by the strips, before depositing them in a loosely folded state in an oscillating hopper or container 34.

It will be understood that the apparatus may include any suitable form of framework having suitable bearings for rotatably supporting the various rolls and the drum or wheel 29 and that any suitable means may be provided for driving these rotary elements at the relative speeds necessary for accomplishing the result desired. If desired, roll 25 may be provided with a suitable clutcharrangement making it a driver or a driven roll depending on the type or style of lace being processed. A second static eliminator 32' may be located between the delivery roll 39 and the hopper 34, if desired.

In the present instance, as shown in Fig. 5, the rolls 25 and 28 are positively driven at the same rate by suitable sprocket wheels and a common sprocket chain 35 which is driven from a suitable sprocket 36 on the takeoff shaft 37 of a conventional speed reducer 38 having a pulley 39 which is driven by a belt 40 connected to the driving pulley 41 of an electric motor 42. Suitable sprocket wheels mounted on the shafts of the brushes 26 and 27 and driven by a common sprocket chain 44 from a suitable sprocket wheel 4-5 on the take-off shaft 37 of the speed reducer 38 serve to drive these rotary elements at the desired speed. Also, sprocket chains 46 and 47 respectively connected with the positively driven roll 28 and the roll 30 by means of suitable sprocket wheels on the shafts thereof and suitable tcnsioning sprockets as indicated at 48 and 49 serve to drive the delivery roll 30 at the desired speed. The take-off roll 21 may be positively driven to obtain the desired tension and tearing action of the draw threads 14 and 14 by means of a suitable sprocket chain 50 connected with suitable sprocket wheels mounted on the shaftsof the drive roll 25 and the take-up roll 21 respectively. The beater 33 is positively driven by a sprocket chain 51 from the shaft of the brush 27 connected with suitable sprocket wheels mounted on the shafts of the brush 27 and the beater 33, respectively. The tension rolls 22 and 23 may be mounted in a common roll stand 53 with the roll 22 being weighted either by a suitable weighting device or in a self-weighted manner as indicated in Fig. 5.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is merely given by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A process of separating into strips a lace web formed of rows of lace strips connected together side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said process including the steps of advancing the web longitudinally around the peripheral face of a drum roll while held thereagainst under tension and supported thereon for its entire width, and tearing out all of the lonigtudinal draw threads as a group from the moving lace web as it is supported by said drum roll by simultaneously and progressively pulling them endwise and backwards in an oblique direction with respect to themselves while subjecting them to applied tension sufficient to break the rover or connector threads and effect complete separation of the web into separate strips of lace.

2. A process of separating into strips a lace web formed of rows of lace strips connected together side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said process including the steps of advancing the web longitudinally around the peripheral face of a drum roll while held thereagainst and supported thereon under tension, and tearing out all of the longitudinal draw threads as a group from the moving lace web as it is supported by said drum roll by lifting the draw threads from the face of the moving web at an intermediate point in its travel around the drum and simultaneously and progressively removing the draw threads by pulling them all together endwise and backwards with respect to the surface of the moving web while subjecting them to applied tension suificient to break the rover or connector threads and effect complete separation of the web into separate strips of lace.

3. A process of separating into strips a lace web formed of rows of lace strips connected together side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said process including the steps of advancing the web longitudinally around the peripheral face of the drum roll, while held thereagainst under tension and supported thereon for its entire width, and tearing out all of the longitudinal draw threads as a group from the moving lace web as it is supported by said drum roll by lifting the draw threads from the face of the moving web at an intermediate point in its travel around the drum and simultaneously and progressively removing the draw threads by pulling them all together end-wise and backwards with respect to the surface of the moving web during winding of the draw threads upon a rotary element as they are removed from the web under applied tension suflicient to break the rover or connector threads and effect complete separation of the web into separate strips of lace.

4. A process of separating into strips a lace web formed of lace strips connected together side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said process including the steps of advancing the web longitudinally under tension while supporting the web without relative movement with respect to the supporting medium, and effecting complete separation of the web into separate strips of lace solely by pulling endwise and removing the draw threads from theweb in a direction away from themselves in the advancing web while subjecting said draw threads to applied tension sufiicient to break the rover or connector threads and thereby divide the web into its component lace strips.

5. A process of separating into strips a lace web formed of lace strips connected together side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said process including the steps of continuously supporting the web without relative movement with respect to the supporting medium while advancing the web longitudinally under tension, and effecting complete separation of the web into separate strips of lace solely by continuously pulling endwise and removing the draw threads from the advancing web in a direction away from the web movement while simultaneously subjecting said draw threads to applied tension sufiicient to break the rover or connector threads and thereby divide the web into its component lace strips.

6. A process of separating into strips a lace web as claimed in claim 5 in which the draw threads are continuously pulled endwise and removed from above the face of the advancing web in an oblique direction away from the direction of travel of the web.

7. A machine for tearing out longitudinal draw threads of lace web composed of multiple rows of lace strips connected together on adjacent side edges to separate therefrom the lace in strip form, comprising, in combination, means including a continuously rotating web supporting drum for placing the web under tension over a predetermined length and for advancing the same longitudinally around said web supporting drum, and a positively driven take-up roll for simultaneously and progressively pulling the draw threads endwise all together under applied tension sufficient to tear them as a group from the face of the moving web and break the rover or connector threads and to wind thereon the draw threads as they are removed from the Web.

8. A machine for separating into separate strips of lace from a web formed of rows of lace strips connected to gether side by side by rover or connector threads through which pass longitudinal draw threads, said machine cornprising, in combination, a web supporting drum roll, means for rotating said drum roll and to advance the Web longitudinally around the peripheral face of said drum roll without relative movement thereto, means for tensioning said web as it is advanced with said drum roll, and means for continuously exerting a pulling force on said draw threads to pull them endwise in a direction away from the movement of the advancing web and to sepa rate them therefrom at a substantially common point on the periphery of said drum roll and to simultaneously and continuously remove them as they become separated by subjecting them to applied tension suflicient to break the rover or connector threads whereby complete separation of the draw threads and the division of said web into strips of lace is efiected.

9. Apparatus for separating the individual component lace strips from a lace web formed of a number of rows of lace strips each having a series of side edge loops and connected together in side by side relation by zigzag rover threads whose alternate turns pass through the side loops of opposite side edges of two adjoining strips and through which series of alternating turns of the rover threads pass longitudinal draw threads, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a web advancing drum roll on which said web is continuously supported for its entire width before, during and after separation of said lace strips thereon and on which said lace strips immediately following their separation from said web are supported in side by side relation after leaving the point of separation from said web on said drum, a pair of rolls positioned in operative relation to said drum to hold said web looped thereabout, one of said rolls being a drive roll for rotating said drum to advance said web without relative motion thereon and having frictional gripping engagement with the separated strips which pass between the bite of such drive roll and the drum roll after leaving the point of separation from said web and to maintain the separated strips looped about the drum roll, and means for continuously applying a pulling force to said draw threads in a direction to lift them from the face of said moving web and pull them endwise obliquely away from the direction of movement of the advancing web with said drum roll and to separate said draw threads from said web at a substantially common point on the periphery of said drum roll and also to simultaneously and continuously remove them as they become separated by applying tension thereto sufiicient to break the rover threads and thereby dividing the web into its component lace strips.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,297,881 Fuller Oct. 6, 1942 2,346,195 Spalding Apr. 11, 1944 2,422,154 Weller June 10, 1947 2,468,310 Spalding Apr. 26, 1949 2,552,680 Johnson et a1 May 15, 1951 2,596,246 Johnson et al. May 13, 1952 2,654,936 Slovin Oct, 13, 1953 

